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Employer FAQs
To inquire about recruiting UNH Manchester undergraduate and/or graduate students for internship positions, please e-mail Donna McIntire, Internship Program Assistant or call at 603-641-4327. Employers must submit a written description of the position, including the internship duties/responsibilities, required/desired qualifications, learning objectives, schedule considerations, compensation, and application instructions.
- What is an internship?
- How can my organization benefit from bringing in UNH Manchester interns?
- What is the Internship Coordinator's role?
- How do I let UNH Manchester students know about my organization's internship opportunity?
- Does UNH Manchester provide credit for internships?
- How long should an internship last?
- Are interns paid?
- Is there any deadline for listing an internship opportunity with UNH Manchester?
- How long will my internship posting be available to students?
- What are employers' responsibilities after hiring a UNH Manchester intern?
- What is expected of internship supervisors?
- How do I submit an Internship position?
What is an internship?
An internship is an on-site pre-professional experience providing exposure to careers. Internships give students the chance to identify and build skills needed in a career field of interest and gain work experience to further their job-searching efforts after graduation. An internship is not a "go-fer" position.
- Internships should provide meaningful assignments, either project-based or focused on a professional job area.
- Learning activities should comprise between 50-70 percent of the internship content. Clerical work should be no more than 30 percent of the job.
- Interns should receive regular supervision, beginning with a clear understanding of expectations, duties, and results.
How can my organization benefit from bringing in UNH Manchester interns?
- Bringing in novices gives your staff the opportunity to coach and/or supervise young pre-professionals, building your staff's supervisory skills
- Supervising interns gives permanent staff the satisfaction that comes from mentoring junior professionals and enhancing their professional experience.
- Internships often provide opportunities for employers to evaluate and train students for possible permanent employment.
- College students usually initiate their own internships; therefore, they are motivated to perform at a professional level and gain new skills and insight into the world of work.
- Being an intern host helps position your organization as a good corporate citizen that invests in the future.
- An intern can provide the time and energy to work on a project that a permanent staff member may not have time to do.
What is the Internship Coordinator's role?
The Internship Coordinator acts as a clearinghouse through which students seeking internships can find internship opportunities offered by employers. She works with employers to articulate and publicize their internship opportunities and educate students on ways to prospect for meaningful internship experiences.
Students are not required to obtain internships, although we educate students on the many career-related benefits of doing so. We also counsel students on ways to prepare for and make the most of internship opportunities.
How do I let UNH Manchester students know about my organization's internship opportunity?
If you would like to make an internship available to UNH Manchester students, contact Donna McIntire, Internship Program Assistant at 603-641-4327 or Email donna.mcintire@unh.edu. In addition to posting hard copies of opportunities, we now list internships on our website. To make arrangements to post internships contact the Internship Coordinator.
Internship postings, usually no more than one page in length, should include the following:
- Organization name
- Brief description of organization
- Address of internship site
- Internship job title
- Intern supervisor's name/title
- Intern's duties/responsibilities
- Desired student qualifications
- What the intern would learn
- Number of positions available
- Pay rate (if applicable) Schedule considerations (number of hours per week, days per week, etc.)
- Contact information (name, title, address, phone, fax, e-mail)
- Complete application instructions (documents you would like students to send and in what format, e.g., snail mail, e-mail, fax) and deadline.
Does UNH Manchester provide credit for internships?
Students may receive academic credit for internships. The student is responsible for contacting a faculty sponsor and negotiating a learning agreement, registering for credit, and following through with required academic work related to the agreement with the faculty sponsor. In some cases, this agreement may specify that the employer plays a role in evaluating the student's performance during the internship.
How long should an internship last?
Internships vary in length, depending on the needs of the employer and the student. For-credit internships generally last at least a full 15-week semester (late August-mid December, late January-mid May, late May-mid August). Non-credit internships are not necessarily scheduled on a semester basis, so afford additional scheduling flexibility.
Generally, during the academic year, students engage in part-time internships of approximately 12 hours a week, scheduling their on-site time around their class schedule. Summer internships may be full-time.
Are interns paid?
We encourage employers to pay college interns for their work whenever possible. To discuss specific questions, please feel free to contact Donna McIntire, by email or phone 603-641-4327.
Is there any deadline for listing an internship opportunity with UNH Manchester?
No. We accept internship postings year round and students seek them year round. Ideally, the best time to recruit students is several months before an anticipated start date that coincides with the beginning of an academic semester (i.e., early September, late January, or late May). Students who wish to obtain credit for their internship experience do need to meet academic calendar deadlines to register for that credit.
How long will my internship posting be available to students?
We encourage you to indicate application deadlines. If you do not provide a deadline, the Internship Coordinator may set one for you (typically one year).
What are employers' responsibilities after hiring a UNH Manchester intern?
If you bring in a UNH Manchester student as an intern, please contact the Internship Program Assistant (603-641-4327) to let us know the student's name. In addition, internship supervisors should meet regularly with students to offer feedback and evaluation. Students receiving credit for the internship may have specific requirements regarding employer evaluation.
What is expected of internship supervisors?
Internship supervisors should provide career-related work experiences that are of sufficient challenge to college-level students. In addition to providing work that contributes to your organization's mission, we also hope you actively support the student's learning endeavor. Someone with interests in furthering the professional development of novices in your field should supervise interns. Specifically, successful internship supervisors:
- Provide a clear job/project description for the work experience
- Orient the student to the organization, its "culture" and work assignment(s)
- Provide sufficient training to ensure the student understands company policies and safety procedures
- Help the student develop and achieve personal learning objectives
- Offer timely, detailed, and constructive feedback to the student
- Complete evaluations at the mid-point and conclusion of the work experience
- When appropriate, provide opportunities for students to contribute to tangible projects suitable for physical display in a portfolio.
- When appropriate, provide professional networking opportunities to help the student gain additional insight into the workplace.
- When applicable, offer to provide the student with a positive employment reference in the future.
